HOW TO CHOOSE UNIVERSITY IN AUSTRIA, APPLY AND STUDY IN 2020: FEATURES, EXAMS AND PRICES

  I have already written an article on how to enter an Austrian university in 2019 (after a number of changes in legislation). Only a year has passed, but during this time there have been many changes. That is why I decided to make the process of choosing an Austrian university and admission in 2020 into separate, fresh and relevant material. Anna Sofia Taucher is with you, and today we will look at the key points of the opening campaign of the coming year.

How to choose a university in Austria

Many applicants from the CIS countries and their parents consider Austria as a country for higher education. And this makes sense: education is quoted throughout the Schengen area, you can stay to work on the RWR card (how to do this is described in detail in this article), high salaries (by CIS standards), a lot of opportunities for life, recreation and self-realization etc.

The first barrier that future students face is the problem of choosing a university. In Austria, all universities can be roughly divided into four large groups.

State universities

Universities of applied sciences (Fachhochschule, abbr. FH or FH)

Private universities

Pedagogical universities

Each university has its own specifics that you need to know and take into account when entering. For example, preparatory courses for applicants after grade 11 are mainly available only at state universities. However, everything in order.

1. State universities

Public universities occupy the largest niche in the Austrian higher education system and offer the largest selection of study programs.

The main advantage of Austrian state universities: many specialties can be enrolled (for now!) Without passing an entrance test, i.e. “Automatically”, simply by submitting documents.

State universities also have a peculiarity. The main emphasis in teaching is theory and research. Moreover, research and teaching are inextricably linked here. It may well be that a lecturer or professor presents diametrically opposed opinions because they have arrived at different results from research or interpret them differently.

Training price

Tuition fees are about 750 euros per semester or free. The second option affects a limited number of programs for a certain contingent (for example, there are programs for residents of Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova). There is also a third option - to return tuition fees with excellent academic performance. But there are also nuances here. If you are interested, write in the comments and I will tell you.

2. Universities of Applied Sciences (FH)

Universities of applied sciences (Fachhochschule or FH for short) are distinguished by the applied nature of education, less emphasis on the theoretical base (as opposed to state ones) and more on practice and development of professional skills.

The number of places for applicants for the first year is set by the Agency for Quality Assurance and Accreditation in Austria (AQ Austria) for each FH or each proposed study program in the accreditation decision. If there are more applicants than the places allocated for study, then entrance examinations are necessarily introduced (we will talk about this a little later).

Universities of Applied Sciences in Austria date back to 1994. With the creation of FH, the state wanted to close the gap in Austrian higher applied education and provide evidence-based vocational training at the university level. First, about ten educational programs were created, in which about 700 students took part. Unlike other countries, universities of applied sciences have been well received in Austria, and since then this sector of higher education has developed very rapidly and has expanded significantly.

However, there are also disadvantages here. You cannot get a doctorate in a farm. However, graduates of FH Masters can apply for a doctoral program at any state university.

Cost of education

There are no free programs at universities of applied sciences, and the tuition fees range from 380 to 750 euros per semester.